Online Gambling News all over the world 14.09.2009

14.09.2009, Online Bingo Interest Surging in U.K. / Ireland Should Act Now On Online Gambling / Online Casino Funds Seized Again in the USA / ine Gambling Arrests in Israel Need Clarification / Online Gambling B.C.Canada's New Revenue Generator

Online Bingo Interest Surging in U.K.
Land based Bingo in the U.K. has been faltering as of late but has found a new face as the online bingo devotees use their computers to access the activity. Britain has seen the closure of a number of land-based bingo clubs and with that one would expect declining revenues for the bingo operators. Just the opposite seems to be happening as Britain’s bingo gambling revenue is rising steadily. The move of customers from the land to the web based bingo halls is driving those returns in an upward direction, according to the U.K. Gambling Commission.

The Commission's statistics that show that, out of the 675 land-based bingo clubs that were in operation last year, only 641 have survived to this year. That’s not a huge number really when you think about the number of online operators there are now offering internet bingo. Bingo is a very social activity with those who like to play gathering in halls to enjoy the company of other players with the same interests. Chat rooms and live bingo action sites have successfully replaced those smoky rooms with a safe and easy access environment of your own choice. The fact that you can still talk to friends and play your favourite bingo is a welcomed substitute for the more expensive night out.

Two major bingo gaming operators Mecca Bingo and Gala Bingo control more than forty percent of the land-based bingo gaming halls in Britain. Now they have some serious competition from many online bingo operators from the U.K. and abroad. The ban on smoking and the increased taxes on land based bingo operators has put a crimp in the style of these big firms. They have learned quickly that to be profitable their attentions will have to go to online offerings, with many interesting features to get the customer to come to the web sites and stay there. Recent research has pointed out that bingo has a changing demographic, one that is younger and more affluent than ever before.

This change bodes well for online bingo operators who realize this trend and capitalize on it. The use of mobile phones to play bingo online is also rapidly expanding the industry. It is thought that the bingo industry is not even close to reaching saturation and operators large and small see huge potential in the online bingo world.

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Ireland Should Act Now On Online Gambling
Ireland has not for some reason decided that it would be a good idea to enter the world of online gambling. Many other countries are looking at and have done something about the possibility of attracting online casinos to their nations. Legislation to legalize and regulate online gambling is being adopted in every corner of the planet, and now after a long wait officials in Ireland seem closer to making some changes to accommodate the passion for punting on the internet.

The antiquated 1956 Gaming and Lotteries Act that prohibits casinos has prevented Ireland from moving forward in a world that is ready for the connected poker player or online casino enthusiast.

Statistics have shown that if Ireland could take on at least 5% of the online casino business out there it would create approximately 5,000 new jobs, with a salary of over $55,000 per job, per year. France, Spain, Argentina, Estonia, are among the nations currently seeing the potential of the online casino industry in their countries and are proposing legal changes to create a framework for the online gambling industry to follow.

Gaming and Leisure Association, co-director, David Hickson, said, that Ireland has a great opportunity to expand into the online casino sector and that the time to act is now. He says the United Kingdom has a proven structural body for the regulation of online gambling activity and with that model in place Ireland just needs to make minor adjustments to the taxation and regulatory rules and they will be in the running to attract operators to their shores. Ireland has already seen the writing on the wall as a large software developer for online casinos has located in Dublin and is employing over 400 people. That is tax money from the corporation and income tax from the workers not to mention all the spin offs from that many pay cheques being spent in the local economy. If Ireland waits to make legislative changes the nation will lose its momentum. The share of the online casino pie will get smaller as other places provide a regulated and hospitable environment for online operators.

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Online Casino Funds Seized Again in the USA
It is reported that three bank accounts owned by processing company HMD Inc., are among current targets that are experiencing trouble with the authorities in the USA regarding transactions dealing with online casinos.

Another processing company identified as Electracash Inc. was targeted by a Maryland judge earlier this year when three seizure warrants were issued on accounts in the Bank of America located in Anaheim, California. The Electracash accounts, were owned by Edward Courdy. A connection could be made because Courdy was arrested and charged with money laundering last year in the state of Maryland.

The Baltimore City Paper reported that warrants were issued on the bases that the money was “proceeds of an illegal gambling business" implying that illegal money laundering is going on. These are strong and serious allegations that the processing firm has yet to responded to. Something of interest is the common method used by the authorities in Maryland to issue the warrants. Secrecy surrounds the proceedings and affidavits on which the warrants were issued are to remain sealed by court order.

The District of Maryland which is responsible for the seizures, was signed by the Honourable Paul W. Grimm. Maryland and New York do not have restrictions on online gambling, which brings up the question, when considering that the courts have recently deemed online gambling's legal issues the responsibility of the state where is the justification for this action. An excess of $30M had been seized by the federal government in the last two months from poker winnings, using the same line of reasoning. While money during the previous seizures was returned to the customers by the casinos there has been no word to date on the casino's willingness to return these newly seized accounts.

Analyst Grant Blake, said,” It certainly appears like there may be a connection between the two seizures,' adding, "Even if there is no connection, it appears obvious that these seizures will not be the end of the process. The federal government seems intent on sending a message to online casinos that are operating in the US."

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Online Gambling Arrests in Israel Need Clarification
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported recently that three individuals have been detained on charges of operating an online gambling establishment. The arrests took place in the town of Lod, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Judge Esther Nachlieli-Khayat is in the process of hearing the case with arguments presented by lawyers for the defence, suggesting that the actions by the defendants are not illegal in Israel. Attorney Sasi Gez told the court, "The company in question has licenses," adding, "Everything is public and visible."

The police have said that this particular online casino operation was committing some of its activity in Israel, which would be a violation of current laws in the country. The defence argued that even though Israelis are barred from gambling, servers and portals can exist legally in Israel.

Asi Vaknin is considered the main suspect, with Naftali Goldman and Yonatan Grimberg also being detained by the International and Serious Crimes division of the police. All of them are suspected of money laundering, and Vaknin may also face charges of making threats. They are free on bail for now as the judge has remanded the case in order to obtain further evidence.

The newspaper also reported that Mr. Vaknin had been questioned for several hours at the police offices in Lod and that Vaknin refused to say anything without a lawyer present. During the preliminary hearing at the Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court the attorneys for the defence asked to see some form of proof that the business the men were conducting was different from other internet gaming sites. Gez and co-attorney Sharon Nahari, asked the police,” Weren’t you in a hurry to make arrests?" The police responded that they were in the initial stages of the investigation. Nahari said that as long as Israeli gamblers are blocked from a gambling Web site, and the site is managed abroad, operating such a site is not a crime.

The judge said that legal questions involved in this case, "spanned the globe" and needed clarification before the case can proceed.

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Online Gambling B.C.Canada's New Revenue Generator
No new casinos," Gordon Campbell told a newspaper reporter in 1999, back when he was in opposition and the New Democratic Party government had embarked on a disastrous casino- licensing binge, one that led to police raids and the resignation of then-premier Glen Clark. That was only a decade ago and now the windfall from casino gambling in British Columbia, Canada has exceeded 1 billion dollars this year.

"We don't want an economy based on losers," Mr. Campbell said back then, "There will be no further expansion of gambling. We'll try to reduce it."

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation for the 24th consecutive year has shown a massive profit. In order to keep that winning streak happening the officials in the British Columbian government have decided it's time to offer casino gaming on the internet. An updated two-year service plan released this month by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation stated that, "Casino and lottery targets have been revised downward," This is due to various factors that explain the downturn in lottery and casino revenues, such as the harmonized sales tax and the general economic slowdown. There was a $19 million dollar shortfall in projected returns for this year. "To mitigate the negative impact ... BCLC is focused on revenue generation initiatives," Chief Executive Officer and the agency's president, Michael Graydon, commented.

Kevin Gass, BCLC's vice-president, corporate affairs, said, "We know that some bettors were taking a pass and not wagering, because the limit was way too low," In a bold new move the corporation has increased the wagering limit for registered players to an astronomical $9,999 per week. This is a significant increase from previous weekly account transfers of just $120. It is not hard to understand why the provincial government is making these sorts of decisions. The economy is in trouble and the politicians have seen how easy it is to generate income from gambling. Going online is the next logical step in a wired world where the demographic is younger and the rewards greater. It is going to be interesting to see how this story develops and how much opposition the move will get from those who just don't agree with the idea.

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